Menstrual madness: tampon meltdown

Tampons are a very personal and intimate thing. Each person who uses them has their own unique preferences but to me there must be an ultimate tampon: one that can be almost universally applied.

There are three things that make a great tampon: applicator, coverage, and comfort.

It doesn’t matter if your preference is scented or unscented. What does matter is the grip of an applicator. If I cannot insert the tampon at the correct angle or depth because the trigger won’t go unless I perform a most ridiculous bathroom stall yoga pose, I don’t want it.

Applying the product should be easy and I should definitely be able to do so comfortably in a public washroom. Some tampons don’t even have applicators and the people who use these deserve our utmost respect.

Sometimes you have a tampon in for an hour and already, you’re somehow leaking through your expensive underwear. What’s worse is that there’s one streaking line through the tampon and the rest hasn’t even tried to absorb blood. It’s pathetic. Coverage is key no matter what period product you use.

Comfort! Oh my goodness, I cannot express enough the times that I’ve tried a new tampon brand and felt like I used a piece of sandpaper instead.

This feels like a betrayal to any person who needs tampons. They are something we are forced to buy – how dare companies make them the most uncomfortable things on planet Earth! Somehow, there are also tampons that feel like solid cardboard. How these things get made, I have no idea.

There must be a committee of people who will never use the tampon who decided that those were a good idea.

All in all, the most important thing is what feels comfortable for each person; maybe cardboard applicators are comfortable for you…I doubt it, but it could be the case. Regardless, tampons are tricky, but there are certain features which allow some to rise above the rest. In my opinion, the best tampons are Playtex Sport, as they are easy to use for those who are apprehensive and as far as I’m concerned, the brand hits all the right marks.